Novorossiysk
Novorossiysk ( ) is a city in Krasnodar Kray, the main port on the . It is one of the few cities honoured with the Soviet title of . Population: 281,400 (2005 est.); 246,900 (2004 est.); 232,079. History In antiquity, the shores of the Tsemess Bay were the site of Bata, an ancient Greek colony that specialized in the . It is mentioned in the works of and , among others. The merchants from the family maintained a trade outpost there in the . Archaeological investigation of the area is in its infancy, but some interesting items have already been uncovered.http://www.nvis.ru/adm/modules.php?name=Content&pa=showpage&pid=10 Since , the bay was commanded by the Ottoman fortress of Sujuk-Qale or Soğucak. After the coastline was ceded to in as a result of a , the admirals Mikhail Lazarev and founded an eastern base for the on the shore in . Named after the province of , the port formed a vital link in the chain of forts known as the , which stretched south to . During the rest of the 19th century, Novorossiysk developed rapidly and became the capital of the , the smallest in the , in . From , until , Novorossiysk was the principal centre of 's and the short-lived . In , the town was occupied by the German Army ( ), but a small unit of Soviet sailors defended one part of the town for 225 days, until it was liberated by the on , . The defence of the port by the Soviet sailors allowed to retain possession of the city's bay, which prevented the Germans from using the port for supply shipments. Novorossiysk was awarded the title in . In , after the breakup of the Soviet Union, the city was established as the home port of the Adygean Navy, and continues to be the only city in Adygea to have that function. Economy The city sprawls along the shore of the Tsemess Bay. The commercial port of Novorossiysk, with a market value of $1,110,000,000, serves Russian sea trade heading to , the , , the , and . It is the busiest oil port in the Black Sea and the terminus of the pipeline from the , developed by the . Novorossiysk is also an industrial city, dependent on , , and the production of metal goods and other manufactures. Extensive supply important factories in and around the city. The town is home to the Maritime State Academy and Novorossiysk Politechnic Institute. Novorossiysk is connected by rail and highways to the main industrial and population centres of Russia, Transcaucasia, and Middle Asia. The public transportation within the city boundaries consists of city buses, trolleybuses, and s. Environs Novorossiysk is not a resort town, but Anapa to the north and Gelendzhik to the south are. There are several urban settlements under the jurisdiction of Novorossiysk. The most famous is Abrau-Dyurso, which consists of a townlet on the shore of Lake Abrau and a village on the coast of the Black Sea, connected by a winding mountain road. Myskhako, a townlet of 5,700 inhabitants, is situated on the eastern slope of Mt. Koldun (447 meters). It is associated with a involving . The modern settlement is noted for its luxurious villas and wine-making facilities. The area of Novorossiysk is one of Russia's main wine-growing regions. The of , established by in 1870, produce table and sparkling for domestic consumption. Sister cities Novorossiysk has seven : * ( ) * ( ) * ( ) * ( ) * ( ) * ( ) * ( ) External links *Soviet topographic map 1:100,000 *Municipal site *Novorossiysk commercial sea port *Informational portal of city *Our Novorossiysk *Photos of Novorossiysk *Photos of Durso, around Novorossiysk *Weather forecast for Novorossiysk *"Myskhako" winery Category:Coastal cities Category:Port cities and towns in Russia Category:Hero Cities of the Soviet Union Category:Settlements established in 1838 Category:Black Sea